Jaundice increases rapidly just a few hours after birth
A Ghanaian boy was saved by doctors at the National Children's Hospital after suffering from severe hemolytic jaundice due to extremely rare Anti Fy3 antibodies.
According to doctors, children develop jaundice immediately after birth and progress abnormally quickly after only about 20 hours of age. Although they have been actively screened at local hospitals, the cause has not yet been determined. On May 27, 2026, the child was transferred to the National Children's Hospital in a state of systemic jaundice.
Test results showed that bilirubin increased rapidly, hemoglobin decreased to 98 g/L, showing severe hemolysis. Notably, both mother and child had positive O and Rh blood groups, so they did not fall into the common cases of ABO or Rh blood group incompatibility.
Faced with a life-threatening risk, doctors prescribed emergency blood transfusions. However, all O- and Rh-type blood units currently available at the hospital are incompatible with the patient.
Discovery of rare Anti Fy3 antibodies
The child's blood sample was sent to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion for in-depth testing and was determined to carry the extremely rare Anti Fy3 antibody belonging to the Duffy blood group. This antibody causes red blood cells to be destroyed continuously, causing jaundice and severe anemia.
While waiting for suitable blood to be found, the child is actively illuminated and given supportive medication. However, the condition is still complicated, with the risk of heart failure, respiratory failure, respiratory arrest and multiple organ failure if not transfused blood in time.
Mobilizing the African community to find blood donors
Because the father did not have a suitable blood type, and the mother had just given birth by cesarean section and was deficient in blood, she could not donate blood, the doctors decided to expand the search in the African community in Vietnam.
After two days of racing against time, 25 volunteers were tested (3 Vietnamese, 22 African), of which 2 Africans with compatible blood types were found. After being transfused, the child's condition improved significantly and he was discharged from the hospital after 7 days of treatment. Currently, the baby's health is stable.
According to Dr. Vu Thi Hue, Anti Fy3 is an extremely rare antibody belonging to the Duffy blood group, commonly found in people with Duffy-null blood group. This antibody can pass through the placenta, destroying the fetus's red blood cells, causing jaundice and severe anemia. Doctors recommend that parents not be subjective with neonatal jaundice, and need to take children to the doctor early when there are abnormal jaundice signs for timely treatment.
